July 26th

July 27, 2011

By

JIM BARON

This week, it all starts to hit the fan.
Central Falls, the stateâs smallest city, is going to be the test tube for the experiment of what the hell are we going to do about pension funds we canât afford to maintain anymore. Next to that will be the Petri dish growing a culture to determine whether bankruptcy is a solution for fiscally crippled municipalities.

July 26, 2011

BRANDEN MELLObmello@ricentral.com
COVENTRY â Coventry Little League 11-year Old All-Star Cam Reid had had a brilliant offensive performance against Narragansett in Friday nightâs District 3 final.
Reid had already delivered a two-run home run, a two-run double, eight RBIs and three runs scored through six-and-half inning.

July 26, 2011

SOUTH KINGSTOWN â After a Wakefield man was arrested in Narragansett for robbing a Dunkin Donuts, the suspect admitted to three break-ins in South Kingstown Tuesday morning, including the Subway at the Towers, the Sea View Market Place and Pier Cleaners.

July 26, 2011

HOPKINTON - While the waiting room at Wood River Health Services in Hope Valley is crowded with people seeking a wide range of different medical services, Dave Henley scurries about the building putting up flyers for an upcoming blood drive.

July 25th

July 26, 2011

BY MARTHA SMITH
Special to the Standard

NORTH KINGSTOWN â Rita Perry, 91, a mover and shaker in many community activities, who, with her friend of seven decades, Helen Beaven, started the townâs first Girl Scout troop and headed up numerous PTAs, passed away last Wednesday at Kent Regency, in Warwick, after a period of declining health.

July 25, 2011

By DAVID PEPIN

The featured performer for this yearâs Summerâs End concert can boast of having spent the past 15 years working with a music legendâŠand having received his big break in show business from a boxing legend.
John Pagano, a Providence native whose repertoire ranges from pop chestnuts to rhythm and blues, will be performing with the R.I. Philharmonic at the townâs annual concert, to be held Friday, Sept. 2, at Eldredge Field. Rain date for the show is Saturday, Sept. 3.
Pagano, who began his career in the â80s as an R&B singer, has been a featured vocalist since 1997 with Burt Bacharach, the pianist and songwriter responsible for many entries in the canon of pop music standards over the past 50 years. Along with two female singers and an 11-piece orchestra (including his brother Vinny, its drummer), they have toured throughout much of the world, most recently a six-date swing through Italy.
âThe girls cover many of his hits, and I do all the male songs,â says Pagano, who usually performs âThis Guyâs In Love with You,â âWhat the World Needs Now (Is Love Sweet Love),â âRaindrops Keep Falling on My Head,â âAny Day Nowâ and âGod Give Me Strength.â
Now living in southern California, Pagano returns roughly every three months to visit his family, and tries to work in a shown or two while heâs in the area.
Before meeting Bacharach, and before recording a CD on MCA, however, came his âdiscoveryâ by that noted musical talent scoutâŠMike Tyson (yes, the former world heavyweight champion).
âI played in a band called Xpo around Albany with my brother. Mike trained about a half-hour away, and he came and saw us and took a liking to my band and my voice. He said I ought to sing the national anthem at one of his fights,â Pagano remembers.
In 1989, Pagano stood in the center of the ring as the Las Vegas Hilton and sang âThe Star-Spangled Bannerâ prior to Tysonâs successful title defense against Frank Bruno.
In the audience that night was an assistant to Irving Azoff, one of the recording industryâs giants, then chairman of MCA records.
âShe saw me in the elevator on my way to the afterparty, and I met Azoff two days later,â Pagano says. While he had been discussing a record deal with Warner Brothers at the time, he ended up signing with MCA, which led to his first encounter with Bacharach and his then-wife, songwriter Carole Bayer Sager.
âAzoff took me over to see him because he was looking for material for my album, but Burt didnât have anything that fit,â says Pagano.

July 25, 2011

By CHRIS SHEPPARD
Special to the Standard

NORTH KINGSTOWNâThe North Kingstown Town Council was unanimous in its consideration of whether to allow the placement of wind turbines in North Kingstown.
Although a few council members pledged to stay open to the idea, a general consensus was reached by the council to hold a public hearing on August 15th on whether to repeal its wind ordinance altogether.